JP7565668B2 - Packs for products of the tobacco industry and method and device for manufacturing the packs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pack for products of the tobacco industry comprising a tray for containing at least one product group according to the preamble of claim 1.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing packs for tobacco industry products according to the preamble of claim 10, in particular according to claim 1 or any of the other preceding claims, in which blanks of packaging material for the trays of the pack are introduced into pockets of a folding turret, after which product groups are introduced into the partially folded blanks, which are then folded around the product groups during further transport on the folding turret.

Finally, the invention relates to an apparatus for producing packs for tobacco industry products according to the preamble of claim 18, in particular according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and preferably for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 10 to 17, which apparatus is equipped to receive blanks of packaging material for the trays of the pack in pockets of a folding turret, to subsequently introduce product groups into the partially folded blanks, and then to fold the blanks around the product groups during further transport on the folding turret.

The present invention deals with the production of packs for two or more product groups.

The object of the present invention is to develop a packaging process or a corresponding device, taking into account a separation between two product groups, which can be easily produced in particular from the viewpoint of process technology.

The device according to the invention has the features of claim 1. It is therefore provided that the tray is equipped for accommodating at least two product groups and that in the internal space of the tray at least one separating element is arranged for separating two accommodating spaces for at least one product group each and that the at least one separating element is constituted by a wall of the tray.

This solution has the advantage, in particular, that separate elements for constructing the partition element can be omitted, which saves material and simplifies production, since no additional elements have to be provided during the production of the pack.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that at least one partition element is a folding flap that is formed in the material of the wall of the tray by punching, and that this folding flap is movable into the internal space of the tray by pivoting relative to the respective wall of the tray in order to partition the storage space.

Preferably, it can further be provided that the tray has two opposing large-area walls, i.e. a (upright) front wall and a corresponding rear wall, and that the tray has two (upright) narrow side walls facing each other and respectively connecting the front and rear walls, and that the tray preferably has one (lower) bottom wall connecting the front, rear and side walls, and that at least one separation element is arranged on at least one of the large-area walls, in particular on the front and/or rear wall.

It may also be provided that preferably at least one partition element is fixed to another wall of the tray, in particular the bottom wall, in a position that separates the storage space.

Preferably, this can be achieved by at least one partition element being fixable in a position separating the storage space by engaging, preferably with a locking projection formed on the partition element, with a recess formed on another wall of the tray, in particular the bottom wall.

Alternatively or additionally, it may be provided that at least one partition element can be fixed at the position where it separates the storage space by a locking flap arranged on another wall of the tray, in particular on the bottom wall, which supports the partition element.

It may be provided that the locking flap is preferably also punched into the material of the other walls of the tray, in particular the bottom wall, and can be moved by pivoting relative to the bottom wall into a position in which it supports at least one separator element, preferably on one side.

This has the advantage that no separate blank is required for this mechanism either.

It may be envisaged that preferably at least one product group or product is arranged in the tray so as to abut directly against the wall of the tray.

It may be envisaged that preferably the tray is a component of a sealed pack and is surrounded by a sealed package of packaging material together with the product group.

The method according to the invention has the features of claim 10. It is therefore provided that the blank comprises at least one separator element, which is used to separate two storage spaces in the internal space of the tray for at least one product group each and which is constituted by a part of the wall of the blank, and that the separator element is pivoted by the folding mechanism into a position for separating the storage spaces, in particular before the product groups are fed.

Preferably, it may be provided that at least one partition element is fixed in a position separating the storage space by a locking flap of the blank, and that the locking flap is moved by a folding mechanism into a position for fixing the partition element.

Preferably, it may be envisaged that at least one of the partition elements and the locking flap may be moved to a position for partitioning the storage space or for fixing the partition element by a common folding mechanism.

Preferably, it may further be provided that the partition element is folded first and then the locking flap or that the locking flap is folded first and then the partition element, in particular by a common folding mechanism or by separate folding mechanisms.

Preferably, it can further be provided that at least one separating element and/or locking flap is folded in connection with the feeding of the blank into the pocket or that at least one separating element and/or locking flap is folded during subsequent transport of the blank on the folding turret, in particular in a station for feeding product groups.

Preferably, it can also be provided that at least one separator element is held by the positioning mechanism in a position separating the receiving space until the (both) product groups are fed into the pockets and the blanks present therein on both sides of the separator element.

It can be envisaged that preferably a rotating aligning wheel is used as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element, the aligning wheel being equipped with two walls which extend accordingly, so as to firstly position the separation element between the walls during the rotation of the aligning wheel, and then to hold it in the positioned position between the walls during the rotation of the aligning wheel.

Preferably, a separator element holder is used as a positioning mechanism for at least one separator element, and it can be envisaged that the separator element holder grips the separator element with its wall on the wheel side, in particular from above, holds it during the supply of the product group and is removed from the separator element after the supply of the product group.

The device according to the invention has the features of claim 18. It is therefore provided that the blank comprises at least one separator element, which is used to separate two storage spaces in the internal space of the tray for at least one product group each and which is constituted by a part of the wall of the blank, and that the device is equipped to pivot the at least one separator element by means of a folding mechanism into a position for separating the storage spaces, in particular before the product groups are supplied.

Preferably, it may be provided that at least one partition element is fixed in a position separating the storage space by a locking flap of the blank, and that the device comprises a folding mechanism for moving the locking flap into a position for fixing the partition element.

Preferably, it may be envisaged that at least one of the partition elements and the locking flap can be moved by a common folding mechanism to a position for partitioning the storage space or for fixing the partition element.

It may be provided that the device preferably comprises a positioning mechanism for holding at least one separator element in a position separating the receiving space until the (both) product groups are fed into the pockets and the blanks present therein on both sides of the separator element.

It can be envisaged that preferably a rotating aligning wheel is provided as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element, the aligning wheel having two walls which extend accordingly, and which is equipped to firstly position the separation element between the walls during rotation of the aligning wheel, and then to hold it in the positioned position between the walls during rotation of the aligning wheel.

It can be preferably envisaged that the aligning wheel has two substantially parallel walls between which the partition element is held, and that the aligning wheel has a funnel-shaped enlarged inlet area for feeding at least one partition element between the walls.

It can be preferably envisaged that a separator element holder is provided as a positioning mechanism for at least one separator element, which separator element holder is equipped to grip the wall of the separator element from the end side, in particular from above, to hold it during the supply of the product group and to be removable from the separator element after the supply of the product group.

Further advantageous details of the invention are found in the remaining parts of the specification and in the drawings.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the preferred embodiment and drawings.

Schematic three-dimensional view of a tray of a pack with two product groups FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of the feeding of two product groups into a partially folded blank for a tray according to FIG. Folding steps during tray formation Optional folding step during tray formation Part of the equipment for filling blanks for trays in product groups (folding turret) Detail of the device according to arrow VI of FIG. 6. A horizontal cross section taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. Vertical cross section taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 9A-9C are vertical cross-sections taken along the section line IX-IX of FIG. 5 at successive stages of the process according to a first embodiment of the folding mechanism. 9A-9C are vertical cross-sections taken along the section line IX-IX of FIG. 5 at successive stages of the process according to a first embodiment of the folding mechanism. 9A-9C are vertical cross-sections taken along the section line IX-IX of FIG. 5 at successive stages of the process according to a first embodiment of the folding mechanism. 12 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line XII-XII in FIG. Horizontal cross section taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. FIG. 10 corresponds to the arrows in FIG. FIG. 10 corresponds to FIG. 9 of a second embodiment of the positioning mechanism. 16 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line XVI-XVI of FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line XVII-XVII of FIG. Partial rotation of the positioning mechanism of FIG. 9 according to the arrow XVIII 1 of the selective pack

The invention is explained below on the example of a pack for products of the tobacco industry, which within the scope of the application are understood to be tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigarillos, etc., but also modern tobacco products such as liquid carriers for heated products or e-cigarettes.

Specifically, in this case, the product is a heated product, i.e. a so-called short cigarette, which is heated by an electronic device with a filament. Such short cigarettes have a shorter length than conventional cigarettes.

1. Pack composition:

The products are arranged in the tray 11 in two groups 10. Each group has two rows of products with six products per row. It will be appreciated that the number of rows and the number of products per row can vary.

The tray 11 is cup-shaped and has a large front wall 12, a corresponding rear wall 13 opposite the front wall 12, and two narrow side walls 14 connecting the front wall 12 to the rear wall 13. At the top, the tray 11 is open. At the bottom, the tray 11 is closed by a bottom wall 15. At the top end of the front wall 12, an end cutout 16 is formed, which facilitates removal of the product. The product is placed upright in the tray 11 and preferably ends flush with the upper side of the tray 11.

The tray 11 is constructed from a one-piece blank 17 (Fig. 2) of packaging material, for example cardboard. For this purpose, the walls of the blank 17 are folded along fold lines and the folding flaps are joined to one another by gluing. The narrow side wall 14 is thus constructed by the side flaps 18 joined to one another. The bottom wall 15 is connected to the narrow side wall 14 by a bottom corner flap 19.

To separate the two groups 10 in the tray 11, a separator element 20 is used. The separator element 20 is part of the blank 17 and is not a separate element. In this case, the separator element 20 is formed in the material of the front wall 12 by a punch 21 or a punch cut and is foldable or pivotable about a fold line into a position arranged between the two groups 10. The separator element 20 is then aligned transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the front wall 12 of the tray 11. The separator element 20 separates two storage spaces for each one product group 10 formed in the interior space of the tray 11.

The walls of the tray 11 are in this case formed closed, except for the punched-out portion 21. Departures from this can of course be made within the scope of the invention. It is conceivable to provide another opening or to omit a wall (such as the bottom wall 15, for example).

To achieve that the partition element 20 remains in the position separating the groups 10 or storage spaces, measures are provided to hold the partition element 20 in this position.

Figures 2 and 4 show a solution with a locking flap 22, which is constructed in the bottom wall 15 adjacent to the front wall 12 and is folded or pivoted around a fold line like the separating element 20, so that the upright separating element 20 is supported laterally by the locking flap 22 to accommodate the pivoting or unfolding of the separating element 20. The locking flap 22 is preferably constructed or defined in the material of the bottom wall 15 by punching like the separating element 20.

Figure 3 shows an alternative solution in which the separation element 20 is provided with a locking projection 23 which engages in a recess 24 in the adjacent bottom wall 15 at the location where the separation element 20 separates the receiving space. Preferably, the engagement is by meshing engagement.

In the example shown, the separator element 20 does not extend over the entire height of the internal or containing space of the tray 11. In other words, the separator element 20 ends at a distance to the open upper side of the tray 11. In this way, the separator element 20 does not appear visible to the consumer, at least during use of the pack or before the product is removed. Only after some products have been removed can the separator element 20 be better perceived by the consumer when looking at the internal space of the tray 11.

In this case, the partition element 20 extends starting from the bottom wall 15 over approximately half the height of the tray 11 or, in the region of the cutout 16, over 2/3 of the height of the front wall 12 in this region.

It goes without saying that the partition element 20 does not necessarily have to be formed on the front wall 12. In particular the rear wall 13 or one of the other side walls of the tray 11 may be taken into consideration for arranging the partition element 20 in a given situation. Depending on the arrangement of the partition element 20, the arrangement of the locking flap 22, the locking projection 23 and the notch 24 may also be adapted.

The product group 10 can be placed in the package together with the tray 11 in order to directly abut the tray 11 or its separating element 20 and form a sealed pack with a preferably sealed seam of the package. The sealed pack thus obtained can be placed in an outer package, for example of the hinge-lid type.

2. Basic configuration of the device

Figure 5 shows a device for constructing the trays 11 surrounding the groups 10 according to said configuration. In this case, at the central point, a rotationally driven folding turret 25 is located, which contains the blanks 17 for the trays 11 and also pockets 26 for containing the product groups 10. On the folding turret 25, the blanks 17 are folded substantially completely. Only the connection of the side flaps 18 to the narrow side walls 14 takes place after the ejection from the folding turret 25. Naturally, deviations from this pattern that are normal for the applicant are conceivable.

The blanks 17 are taken individually from the underside of the magazine 27 and fed to the feeding station of the folding turret 25. There, the blanks are pushed into the pockets 26 by the punch 28 and are partially folded in this case. In this case, the front wall 12 of the tray 11 lies flat on the bottom wall 15 of the pocket 26, and the side flaps 18 arranged on either side of the front wall 12 of the blank 17 are upright. The bottom wall 15 and the rear wall 13 of the blank 17 are also upright relative to the front wall 12 (Fig. 2). The rear side of the rear wall 13 abuts against the guide rail 32 (Fig. 6).

2.1 Upright of the partition element (20) and the locking flap (22)

The next step is the folding of the separation element 20 and possibly the locking flap 22 (if present). This step can be carried out either at the feed station together with the introduction of the blank 17 into the pocket 26 or at one of the stations following the feed station of the folding turret 25. Below, variations of the folding according to Figs. 2 and 5 at the feed station are described:

In the supply station, in the region of the pocket 26, two folding mechanisms 29, 30 are provided. The folding mechanism 29 is used to fold the locking flap 22, whereas the folding mechanism 30 is used to fold the separation element 20. In this case, the folding mechanisms 29, 30 are connected to one another by a common lever 31, so that the folding mechanisms can be moved or driven together. Of course, a separate design of the folding mechanisms 29, 30 is also possible.

6, 7 and 8 show the coordinated movement of the punch 28 and the folding mechanisms 29, 30. The punch 28 pushes the blank 17 into the pocket 26, and the folding mechanisms 29, 30 fold the separation element 20 and the locking flap 22, while the blank 17 is fixed in the pocket 26 by the punch 28. In this case, the folding mechanism 30 enters the pocket 26 from below, and the folding mechanism 29 in the rear area of the pocket 26.

The movements of the punch 28 and the folding mechanisms 29, 30 can be overlapped, or the folding mechanisms 29, 30 can perform part of the work after the punch 28 has pushed the blank 17 into the pocket 26.

The movements of the folding mechanisms 29, 30 can also be performed one after the other or one over the other. First the separation element 20 can be erected or the locking flap 22 can be erected and then the other element, respectively. The elasticity of the packaging material allows the separation element 20 and the locking flap 22 to be moved along each other. The folding sequence can be achieved by the corresponding angular position of the lever 31 and the resulting relative position of the folding mechanisms 29, 30.

If the locking projection 23 is provided instead of the locking flap 22, the folding mechanism 29 can of course be omitted. The separation element 20 is made to stand upright by the folding mechanism 30 until the locking projection 23 enters the notch 24 and fixes the position of the separation element 20.

If folding of the partition element, and possibly also folding of the locking flap 22, takes place in one of the following stations of the folding turret 25, the folding mechanisms 29, 30 can be positioned accordingly. Optionally, conventional means can be provided for holding the blank 17 during folding.

2.2 Product group supply

Figures 9 to 18 deal with the measures associated with the feeding of the product groups 10 into the pockets 26 or into the partially folded blanks 17 prepared therein. Here too, the positioning or fixing of the separation elements takes place relying on the locking flaps 22 or locking projections 23. For this purpose, different positioning mechanisms can be used, which are explained below. However, we will first consider the basic construction of the device in this area.

Both product groups 10 are supplied in two lanes or side by side, i.e. by a pusher 33 in combination with a platform 34 which can move back and forth. The construction of the pusher 33 and the platform 34 as well as their mode of operation are known, for example, from the applicant's EP-A-0 994 029, to which reference is made for a complete disclosure.

The product groups 10 are gripped from the rear by a common pusher 33 and pushed in the conveying direction via the platform and through a stationary mouthpiece 35 around the folding turret 25 into the pockets 26 or into the partially folded blanks 17 prepared therein. In the mouthpiece 35, a central partition 40 is provided, which contributes to maintaining the lateral spacing between the two product groups 10 within the mouthpiece 35 so that they are pushed adjacent to the upright separating elements 20, respectively.

To prevent possible collisions of the product groups 10 with the already upright separation elements 20, different positioning mechanisms for the separation elements 20 are proposed, which are now described in detail:

2.2.1 Variations with "aligning wheels"

In the solution shown in Figs. 9-14 and 18, a rotating centering wheel 36 is provided as a positioning mechanism for the separation element 20. The centering wheel 36 is arranged above the pocket 26 of the folding turret 25 and is driven in rotation about a horizontal axis. The centering wheel 36 has two walls 37 around its periphery, which, by their corresponding extension, are equipped to firstly position the separation element 20 between the walls 37 during the rotation of the centering wheel 36 while the product group 10 is being pushed in, and then to hold it in the positioned position between the walls 37 during the further rotation of the centering wheel 36.

Figure 18 shows the extension of the wall 37 with a wall funnel-shaped inlet area 38 and a parallel extension of the wall 37 that connects to this inlet area. The funnel-shaped inlet area 38 is used to accommodate the separation element 20 during rotation and to guide it into the positioned position (Figures 10 and 12).

The spacing of the walls 37 in the adjacent parallel areas is dimensioned so that the separator element 20 is held in a positioned position while the product groups 10 are pushed into the pockets 26 through both sides of the separator element 20 (Figures 11 and 13).

The wall 37 extends only partially around the periphery of the aligning wheel 36 so that it does not collide with the folding turret 25 or the pocket 26 during the rotation of the folding turret 25 (Figure 9). The portion of the blank 17 that protrudes from the pocket 26 is guided through a diverter 39.

2.2.2 Variations with "separator element holder"

As an alternative to the aligning wheel 36, a separation element holder 41 can also be used. The separation element holder 41, like the aligning wheel 36, has walls 37 between which the separation element 20 is held. Furthermore, the separation element holder 41 has an end region 42 in which the walls 37 taper and thus guide both product groups 10 through both sides of the separation element 20.

The partition element holder 41 is attached to the partition element 20 from above, so that the walls 37 hold the partition element 20 from both sides. Thus, the partition element 20 can be placed in the holder 43.

3. Final notes

The fixing or positioning of the separation element 20 within the scope of the present application is essentially carried out in terms of:

On the one hand, the separation element 20 is fixed in the finished pack via the locking flap 22 or the locking lug 23. This fixation is effective as soon as the first product is removed from the pack and the upright product is prone to tipping over. The separation element 20 reduces the width of the respective storage space and thus prevents the products from tipping over.

Moreover, this positional fixation naturally also contributes to the pre-positioning of the separation element 20 for the subsequent supply of the product groups 10. Since the groups 10 fill the respective receiving spaces quite precisely, there is little play for positioning the separation element 20 in order to avoid collisions with the groups 10 during supply. Due to the fixing of the separation element 20 by the locking flaps 22 or the locking projections 23, the separation element 20 is already quite close to the position required for the supply of the groups 10. In this way, gripping the separation element 20 by the positioning mechanism and moving it to the exact position is simplified.

The individual steps in the process sequence can basically be performed one after the other or can be (partially or completely) overlapped. However, the folding mechanisms 29, 30 must be moved away from the pocket 26 before the product groups 10 can be pushed completely into the pocket 26 in order to avoid collisions. On the other hand, the separation element 20 must be positioned before the product groups 10 reach the areas on both sides of the separation element 20 in order to avoid collisions here. After both product groups 10 have reached the areas on both sides of the separation element 20 and have sufficiently stabilized the separation element 20, these positioning mechanisms are basically no longer required and can be removed from the separation element 20.

4. Selective packs

Figure 19 shows a possible alternative pack for products of the tobacco industry. In contrast to the first described embodiment, the upper side of the tray 11 is not open, but is provided with a removal opening 44 which extends continuously over the end wall 45 and part of the front wall 12. Correspondingly, the cutout 16 of the first embodiment is omitted. The removal opening 44 is closed by a closure label 46. Glue points 47 are used to connect the closure label 46 to the inside of the lid of a hinge-lid type outer pack which can be placed in the pack as an inner pack.

The products are in this case conventional cigarettes with a greater length than the heat-not-burn products. The groups 10 are in this case not of the same size, one consisting of eight products and the other of six products. Another feature is that the front wall 12 consists of two walls that abut against each other in the area of the parting line 48.

Finally, another difference is that it is contemplated that the partition element 20 is configured on the rear wall 13.

The above description generally relates to a pack with two product groups 10. However, variations with a larger number of groups 10, for example three or four groups, are also within the scope of the invention. In that respect, the invention is not limited to the number of two groups 10. In the case of a pack with a larger number of groups 10, the number of separation elements 20 can be adapted accordingly, so that each group 10 is arranged in its own receiving space. Alternatively, it can also be envisaged that in such cases several groups 10 can be arranged in one receiving space. It is also basically conceivable that the separation element 20 is constituted by part of a tray as described, and that the other separation elements are constituted by part of other pack components, for example by part of a collar or by additional, in particular separate, elements.

Naturally, the invention is not limited to both variations of the pack shown: many variations are possible within the scope of the invention.
In addition, the present application relates to the invention described in the claims, but may also include the following as other aspects.
1.
A pack for products of the tobacco industry comprising a tray (11) for containing at least one group of products (10),
A pack, characterized in that a tray (11) is equipped for accommodating at least two product groups (10), and in that in the internal space of the tray (11) at least one separator element (20) is arranged for separating two accommodating spaces for at least one product group (10) each, and that the at least one separator element (20) is constructed from a wall of the tray (11).
2.
2. The pack according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) is a folding flap configured in the material of the wall of the tray (11) by punching, which folding flap is movable into the internal space of the tray (11) by pivoting relative to the respective wall of the tray (11) in order to partition the storage space.
3.
3. A pack according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the tray (11) comprises two opposing large-area walls, i.e. a (upright) front wall (12) and a corresponding rear wall (13), and that the tray (11) comprises two (upright) narrow side walls (14) opposite each other and respectively joining the front wall (12) and the rear wall (13), and that the tray (11) preferably comprises one (lower) bottom wall (15) joining the front wall (12), the rear wall (13) and the side walls (14) to each other, and that at least one separation element (20) is arranged on at least one of the large-area walls, in particular on the front wall (12) and/or the rear wall (13).
4.
Item 1. The pack according to item 1 or any one of the other preceding items, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) is fixed to another wall of the tray (11), in particular to the bottom wall (15), in a position separating the storage space.
5.
5. The pack according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) can be fixed in a position for partitioning the storage space by engaging, preferably with a locking projection (23) formed on the partition element (20), with a notch formed on another wall of the tray (11), in particular the bottom wall (15).
6.
5. The pack according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) can be fixed at the position dividing the storage space by a locking flap (22) arranged on another wall of the tray (11), in particular on the bottom wall (15), which supports the partition element (20).
7.
7. The pack according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking flap (22) is constructed by punching into the material of the other walls of the tray (11), in particular the bottom wall (15), and can be moved by pivoting relative to the bottom wall (15) into a position in which it supports at least one partition element (20), preferably on one side.
8.
10. The pack according to claim 1 or any one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that at least one product group (10) or product is arranged in the tray (11) so as to abut directly against a wall of the tray.
9.
Item 1. A pack according to any one of the preceding items, characterized in that the tray (11) is a component of a sealed pack and, together with the product group (10), is surrounded by a sealed package of packaging material.
10.
A method for manufacturing packs for tobacco industry products, in particular according to item 1 or any one of the other preceding items, in which a blank (17) of packaging material for a tray (11) of the pack is introduced into a pocket (26) of a folding turret (25), after which a group of products (10) is introduced into the partially folded blank (17), which is then folded around the group of products (10) during its further transport on the folding turret (25),
The method is characterized in that the blank (17) comprises at least one partition element (20) which is used to separate two storage spaces in the interior space of the tray (11) for at least one product group (10) each and which is constituted by a part of a wall of the blank (17), and in that the partition element (20) is pivoted by a folding mechanism into a position for separating the storage spaces, in particular before the product groups (10) are fed.
11.
11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) is fixed in a position separating the storage space by a locking flap (22) of the blank (17), and that the locking flap (22) is moved by a folding mechanism into a position for fixing the partition element (20).
12.
12. The method according to items 10 and 11, characterized in that at least one separator element (20) and a locking flap (22) are moved by a common folding mechanism into a position for separating the storage space or into a position for fixing the separator element (20).
13.
The method according to item 12 or any one of the other preceding items, characterized in that first the partition element (20) is folded and then the locking flap (22) is folded or first the locking flap (22) is folded and then the partition element (20), in particular by a common folding mechanism or by separate folding mechanisms.
14.
11. The method according to claim 10 or any one of the other preceding claims, characterized in that at least one separation element (20) and/or locking flap (22) is folded in connection with the feeding of the blanks (17) into the pockets (26) or at least one separation element (20) and/or locking flap (22) is folded during subsequent transport of the blanks (17) on the folding turret (25), in particular in a station for feeding the product groups (10).
15.
11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one separator element (20) is held by a positioning mechanism in a position separating the receiving space until (both) product groups (10) are fed into the pockets (26) and the blanks (17) present therein on both sides of the separator element (20).
16.
16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that a rotating aligning wheel (36) is used as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element (20), the aligning wheel (36) having two walls (37) which extend accordingly, and which is equipped to firstly position the separation element (20) between the walls (37) during the rotation of the aligning wheel (36) and then to hold the separation element (20) in the positioned position between the walls (37) during the rotation of the aligning wheel (36).
17.
16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that a separation element holder (41) is used as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element (20), which holds the separation element (20) with a wall (37) on the wheel side, in particular from above, during the supply of the product group (10) and is removed from the separation element (20) after the supply of the product group (10).
18.
19. An apparatus for producing packs for tobacco industry products, in particular as described in any one of items 1 to 9, preferably for carrying out the method according to any one of items 10 to 17, which apparatus is equipped to receive blanks (17) of packaging material for the trays (11) of the pack in pockets (26) of a folding turret (25), thereafter to introduce a group of products (10) into the partially folded blanks (17) and then to fold the blanks (17) around the group of products (10) during their further transport on the folding turret (25),
1. An apparatus comprising: a blank (17) comprising at least one partition element (20) which is used to separate two storage spaces in the interior space of the tray (11) for at least one product group (10) each and which is constituted by a part of a wall of the blank (17); and, in particular, before the product groups (10) are fed, the apparatus is equipped to pivot the at least one partition element (20) by means of a folding mechanism into a position for separating the storage spaces.
19.
19. The device according to item 18, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) is fixed in a position separating the storage space by a locking flap (22) of the blank (17), and that the device comprises a folding mechanism for moving the locking flap (22) into a position for fixing the partition element (20).
20.
20. The device according to claim 19, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) and the locking flap (22) are movable by a common folding mechanism into a position for partitioning the storage space or into a position for fixing the partition element (20).
21.
Item 18 or any one of the other preceding items, characterized in that the device comprises a positioning mechanism for holding at least one separator element (20) in a position separating the receiving space until the (both) product groups (10) are fed into the pockets (26) and the blanks (17) present therein, on both sides of the separator element (20).
22.
22. The device according to claim 21, characterized in that a rotating aligning wheel (36) is provided as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element (20), the aligning wheel (36) having two walls (37) which extend accordingly, and which is equipped to firstly position the separation element (20) between the walls (37) during rotation of the aligning wheel (36) and then to hold it in the positioned position between the walls (37) during rotation of the aligning wheel (36).
23.
23. The device according to claim 22, characterized in that the aligning wheel (36) comprises two substantially parallel walls (37) between which the partition element (20) is held, and that the aligning wheel (36) comprises a funnel-shaped enlarged inlet area (38) for feeding at least one partition element (20) between the walls (37).
24.
22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that a partition element holder (41) is provided as a positioning mechanism for at least one partition element (20), which is equipped to grip the wall (37) of the partition element (20) from the end side, in particular from above, to hold it during the supply of the product group (10) and to be removable from the partition element (20) after the supply of the product group (10).

10 group 11 tray 12 front wall 13 rear wall 14 narrow side wall 15 bottom wall 16 cutout 17 blank 18 side flap 19 bottom corner flap 20 separation element 21 punched out part 22 locking flap 23 locking projection 24 cutout 25 folding turret 26 pocket 27 magazine 28 punching tool 29 folding mechanism (locking flap)
30 Folding mechanism (separator element)
31 Lever 32 Guide rail 33 Pusher 34 Platform 35 Mouthpiece 36 Alignment wheel 37 Wall 38 Inlet area 39 Diverter 40 Partition (mouthpiece)
41 Partition element holder 42 Tip region 43 Holder 44 Discharge opening 45 End wall 46 Closing label 47 Glue point 48 Parting line

Claims (13)

A method for manufacturing packs for tobacco industry products, in which a blank (17) of packaging material for a tray (11) of the pack is introduced into a pocket (26) of a folding turret (25), after which a group of products (10) is introduced into the partially folded blank (17), which is then folded around the group of products (10) during its further transport on the folding turret (25), comprising:
a blank (17) comprising at least one partition element (20) used to separate two storage spaces in the interior space of the tray (11) for at least one product group (10) each and constituted by a part of a wall of the blank (17); and before the product groups (10) are fed, the partition element (20) is pivoted by a folding mechanism into a position separating the storage spaces, and the at least one partition element (20) is held by a positioning mechanism in the position separating the storage spaces until the product groups (10) are fed, on both sides of the partition element (20), into the pockets (26) and the blank (17) present therein . 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) is fixed in a position separating the receiving space by a locking flap (22) of the blank (17), and that the locking flap ( 22 ) is moved by a folding mechanism into a position for fixing the partition element (20). 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one separator element (20) and the locking flap ( 22 ) are moved by a common folding mechanism into a position for separating the storage space or into a position for fixing the separator element (20). 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the partition element (20) is folded first and then the locking flap (22) or the locking flap (22) is folded first and then the partition element ( 20 ) by a common folding mechanism or by separate folding mechanisms. 5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one separation element (20) and/or locking flap (22) is folded in connection with the feeding of the blank (17) into the pocket (26) or that at least one separation element (20) and/or locking flap (22) is folded during a subsequent transport of the blank (17) on the folding turret ( 25 ). 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a rotating aligning wheel (36) is used as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element (20), the aligning wheel (36) having two walls (37) which extend accordingly, and which is equipped to firstly position the separation element (20) between the walls (37) during rotation of the aligning wheel (36) and then to hold the separation element (20) in the positioned position between the walls (37) during rotation of the aligning wheel (36). 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a separation element holder (41) is used as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element (20), the separation element holder gripping the separation element (20) from above with a wall (37), holding it during the feeding of the product group (10) and being removed from the separation element (20) after the feeding of the product group ( 10 ). An apparatus for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 for producing packs for products of the tobacco industry, the apparatus being equipped to receive blanks (17) of packaging material for the trays (11) of the pack in pockets (26) of a folding turret (25), thereafter to introduce a product group (10) into the partially folded blank (17) and then to fold the blank (17) around the product group (10) during its further transport on the folding turret (25),
1. An apparatus for separating a blank (17) from a storage space, the apparatus comprising: at least one partition element (20) used for separating two storage spaces in the interior space of the tray (11) for at least one product group (10) each, the partition element being constituted by a part of a wall of the blank (17); and, before the product groups (10) are fed, the apparatus is equipped for pivoting the at least one partition element (20) by means of a folding mechanism into a position for separating the storage spaces; and, the apparatus comprises a positioning mechanism for holding the at least one partition element (20) in a position for separating the storage spaces until the product groups (10) are fed, on both sides of the partition element (20), into the pockets (26) and the blank (17) present therein . 9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one partition element (20) is fixed in a position separating the receiving space by a locking flap (22) of the blank (17), and that the device comprises a folding mechanism for moving the locking flap (22) into a position for fixing the partition element ( 20 ). 10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one separator element (20) and the locking flap ( 22 ) are movable by a common folding mechanism into a position for separating the storage space or into a position for fixing the separator element (20). 11. The device according to claim 8, wherein a rotating aligning wheel (36) is provided as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element (20), the aligning wheel (36) having two walls (37) which extend accordingly, and which is equipped to firstly position the separation element (20) between the walls (37) during rotation of the aligning wheel (36) and then to hold the separation element ( 20 ) in the positioned position between the walls (37) during rotation of the aligning wheel (36). 12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the aligning wheel (36) comprises two parallel walls (37) between which the partition element (20) is held, and that the aligning wheel (36) comprises a funnel-shaped enlarged inlet area (38) for feeding at least one partition element ( 20 ) between the walls (37). 13. The device according to claim 8, wherein a separation element holder (41) is provided as a positioning mechanism for at least one separation element (20), the separation element holder being equipped to grip a wall ( 37) of the separation element (20) from above , to hold it during the supply of the product group (10) and to be removable from the separation element (20) after the supply of the product group (10).

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